Avon & Somerset Police say they follow up all meaningful lines of inquiry in their investigation into missing Bristol student Jack O’Sullivan.
It comes as Jack’s mum accused police of not following up reported sightings of him. Catherine O’Sullivan says officers ‘dismissed most of them as they have totally made up their minds on where Jack is’.
A police spokesperson said: “We remain open-minded about what happened to Jack O’Sullivan after he went missing in the Cumberland Basin area of Bristol and our investigation is continuing.
“Since Jack disappeared, we’ve received more than 130 calls in our contact centre with information, as well as receiving weekly updates from the family’s representatives.
“Each report is carefully assessed and triaged by detectives from our investigation team. They consider the information provided, the evidential value and the relevance to the investigation. Wherever necessary they follow-up the report by contacting the informant and conducting further enquiries.
“On several occasions, we’ve received a single-call report where someone who looks like Jack has been seen elsewhere in the country. Officers will use a probability scale to make a proportionate judgement about the information provided based on the information and evidence available. This allows us to focus the resources we have available on the reports which present more meaningful lines of enquiry.
“We’re always grateful for the public’s continued and ongoing support of this investigation. Our priority remains focussed on finding out what happened to Jack and giving his family the answers they desperately need.”
Jack, 23, was last seen at 3.15am on Saturday, March 2, in Bristol after a night out in the city.